The Importance of Obedience
And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me. Genesis 22:15-18
Are we obedient to God? Do we accomplish the tasks He gives us? Paul says we cannot earn our salvation, but we are created to do good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Can we follow God’s call in the Great Commission to go into the world and make disciples by baptizing and teaching them? Sure, we can, but do we? Today’s lesson is about the importance of being obedient.
Most will agree obedience is important. We should follow God wherever He leads. But what does that mean? What if he leads us somewhere we do not want to go? What about doing things we are not comfortable doing? What if God gives us an impossible task? Jesus tells us that all things are possible for God in Matthew 19:26, but what about us? Well, Paul tells us that we can do all things through Jesus who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13). So, from a Scriptural perspective we can do anything God tells us to do. The real question is “do we want to do what God tells us to do?”
The above promise from God to Abraham is about our salvation. We are blessed by Abraham’s faith and obedience. Do you remember what Abraham did to receive this blessing? Was it being circumcised? No. Was it following God where he led him to live? No. Or was it something else? Yes. Most of us would say that Abraham did the impossible to show God he was obedient. He actually took his only son into the desert and prepared to kill him because God told him to do it. He did not argue or reason with God. He did not question God. He made no excuses. Abraham knew God would provide, and he did what he was told. Today we might say Abraham was told to do the impossible by God, but his faith won the day and God provided.
This demonstration of Abraham’s faith and obedience foresees the eventual sacrifice of Jesus on the altar of the cross. God never asks us to do more than he is willing to do himself. In fact, as Christians, we are spiritually resurrected into the body of Christ so technically we are continuing the life of Jesus in the world today. Our obedience is an extension of Christ’s sacrificial life. Surely, we can do what God asks of us today in this world and forever in heaven even if it seems impossible.
Scripture: Genesis 22:1-18
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